Ottawa is hosting the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship through Jan. 5, which includes seven* Seattle Kraken prospects playing on four of the tournament teams.
Each morning, we’ll list the schedule of games involving Kraken draft choices, as well as results of games played the previous day. The focus will be on Seattle prospects and notable achievements during their games.
Dec. 28 Games Involving Kraken Prospects
Kraken prospect teams in bold. All games televised by NHL Network. Pacific time used.
- Czechia vs. Kazakhstan, 10 am
Dec. 27 Games Involving Kraken Prospects
Team records in parentheses.
(1-1-0) Finland 3
(0-2-0) Germany 1
(2-0-0) Sweden 8
(0-1-0) Kazakhstan 1
(1-0-0) Latvia 3
(1-0-1) Canada 2 (SO)
Kraken Prospect Highlights
Team Finland: Forward Julius Miettinen played 17:34, had two SOG, and was -1. Goalie Kim Saarinen, one of three Finnish goalies, didn’t dress.
Team Sweden: Forward Zeb Forsfjall contributed two assists in his team’s blowout win, one in the 1st period, one in the 3rd. He played 15:26, took two SOG, and was a +3.
In the highlight below, Forsfjall (#11) goes below the goal line to retrieve the puck. He makes a pinpoint feed to Anton Wahlberg in the left faceoff circle for the fifth Sweden goal at 19:47 of the 1st period.
Team Canada: Playing in their nation’s capital, the Canadians were shocked 3-2 by Latvia, who prevailed in an eight-round shootout. It was Team Latvia’s first ever WJC victory.
TSN Screengrab
Under IIHF rules, the same player is allowed multiple turns in the shootout. Forward Berkly Catton took the first and eighth attempts for Team Canada, but both tries were saved by Latvian goalie Linards Feldbergs (who also made 55 saves during three periods and overtime).
Mateiko Eriks, next up, scored the only goal of the shootout in the bottom of the eighth round to secure the upset.
Otherwise, Catton took five SOG, and now has 11 in two games. He was also whistled for two minor penalties, and played 19:03. As seen below, Catton (#14) came within inches of scoring in the 1st period, crashing the net and flicking the puck off the right post.
Defenseman Caden Price took two shots in 19:15 of ice time. He wasn’t on ice for either of Latvia’s goals in regulation.
* We previously included Carson Rehkopf as a member of the Team Canada roster. But while discussing Canada’s woes on the power play, Lauren Kelly of Elite Prospects included this item: “It makes you wonder about the options that Canada had at their disposal and opted not to bring. Carson Rehkopf, one of the most lethal half-wall finishers, wasn’t registered for the tournament.”